Player-piano



F. W. BULL.

PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.27,1920.

1,344,984, I Patented June 29, 1920.

FIG 3 I run-s SHARP INVENTOR 321 3555 FRANK mam.

UNITED STATES PATIENT orrice. v

FRANK WESLEY BULL, OF OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

' PLAYER-PIANO. 1

Application filed January 27, 1920. Serial No. 354,389.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WESLEY BULL, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Oshawa, in the county of Ontario, in the Provinceof Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPlayer-Pianos, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates'to improvements in player pianos, and the object ofthe invention is to devise means for teaching a person who has noknowledge of music to play any piece which is played by the player pianoby enabling the operator to readily read the notes of the tune sheet asrepresented by the perforations therein, and it consists essentially ofthe arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter moreparticularly explained.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a player piano showing thetracker bar, tune sheet, supporting rollers, and my device appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my miniature key board broken away intermediateits length.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 44 Fi Fig. 5 is a crosssectional view on line 5-5 Fi Bu the drawings like characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 indicates the outer casing of the player piano provided with the usualrectangular orifice 2. 3 and 4 indicate the ends in which the tune sheetsupporting rollers 5 and 6 are mounted in the usual manner. 7 indicatesa tracker bar provided with the usual note orifices 10. The tune sheet 7is provided with the usual note perforations 11 and is operated so as totravel from the roller 5 to the roller 6. 12 is a curved bar which isrigidly secured by screws 13 to each end 3 and 4 the center of thecurved bar being approximately opposite the center of the tracker bar.extending parallel to each bar 12 and spaced apart therefrom. 15 is aminiature key board-chart which is provided at each end with a reducedportion 16 slidable between the bars 12 and 14. Each bar 14 in proximity to its end is provided with an orifice 18. 19 is a screw whichpasses freely through each orifice 18 and is secured in the bar 12.

Specification of Letters Patent.

thereby permitting 14 is a similarly curved bar Patented June 29,1920.

The screw 19 is preferably provided with I a washer 20 bearing againstthe underface of the head of the screw 19 and 21 is a compression springextending between. the washer and the bar 14. By this means the bars l2and 14 are resiliently held together ment of theminiature keyboard-chart and enabling it to be readily slid upor down to the requiredposition.

It will be understood that the notes of the miniature key board-chartare of such size that each note is directly opposite a longitudinal lineof perforations in the tune sheet. Then the operator desires to read anyof the notes reproduced by the perforations of the tune sheet he slidesthe miniature key board-chart 15 from the position shown by full linesin Fig. 2 to the position shown by dotted lines in the same figure. Bythis means he brings the notes represented on the miniature keyboard-chart in line with the'note perforations of the tune sheet andthis will readily indicate to him what notes these perforationsrepresent. If desired the miniature key board-chart may have the flatsand sharps and naturals indi cated above each note and also theminiature key board-chart may be divided into 00 taves and the keyboard-chart of the piano may be similarly divided so as to enable him toreadily see where the notes are located on the key board enabling him toimmedi ately place his fingers in position upon the notes. The operatormay bring any portion of the tune sheet to the exposed position and bythe method above described memorize the notes which comprise thecorresponding portion of the music. The tune sheet may then be turned toexpose the next portion or if desired a portion of music may be playedon the player piano so as to help the operator to obtain the rhythm ofthe music and the proper expression.

From this description it will be understood that I have devised a verysimple device which will readily teach a person who has absolutely noknowledge of music how to play a piece, and which result may beaccomplished in a very short time not only teaching the operator thenotes he is to play but also enabling him to play them to get thedesired melody.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a player piano provided with the usual perforated tune sheet, akey boardperfect freedom of movechart, and means for supporting the keyboard so as to be slidable in a downward direction when in a horizontalposition in front of the tune sheet with each note thereof opposite thepath of one horizontal row of note perforations.

2. In a player piano provided with the usual perforated tune sheet, aguide way supported at each end of the tune sheet, and a miniature keyboard-chart slidably held at its ends within the guide way and having anote thereof opposite a longitudinal line of perforations of the tunesheet.

3. In a player piano provided with the usual tune sheet, a guide waylocated at each end of the tune sheet each comprising a bar secured tothe gable of the spool box, a bar parallel to each of the aforesaid barsand resiliently connected thereto, and a miniature key board slidablyheld at its ends between each pair of stationary and resiliently heldbars.

4:. In a player piano provided with the usual tune sheet, a guide waylocated at each end of the tune sheet each comprising a bar secured tothe gable of the spool box,

.a bar parallel to each of the aforesaid bars FRANK IVESLEY BULL.

